The Lithuanian gambling regulator has concluded its investigation into the use of the Betsson brand in the name of the Lithuanian Basketball League and decided not to impose a fine, as the violation was corrected during the inspection. The case arose following recent amendments to Lithuania’s gambling advertising law, which tightened restrictions on the visibility of sponsorship in sports.

Betsson Branding Investigation

The Lithuanian Gambling Supervision Authority (LPT) completed an investigation of the operator Lošimų strateginė grupė regarding the use of the Betsson brand in the Lithuanian Basketball League’s name, “Betsson-LKL.” The review was conducted after amendments to the Gambling Law came into force on 1 July 2025, prohibiting the inclusion of gambling operators’ names in the titles of sports clubs, leagues, or other sponsored entities.

Despite the new rules, the Betsson brand continued to appear in the league’s name, prompting the regulator to assess whether this constituted prohibited gambling advertising under the updated legislation.

Violation Removed During Inspection

During the inspection, the operator followed the regulator’s guidance and corrected the violation before the review was completed. LPT stated: “After the inspection began, Lošimų strateginė grupė took the Authority’s recommendations into account and removed the infringement. The Lithuanian Basketball League name is now published with a clear separation of the sponsor’s name — ‘LKL, sponsored by Betsson’.”

In addition, the registration of the “Betsson LKL” trademark was cancelled, and the branding is no longer used publicly. As the violation was eliminated before the inspection concluded, the regulator determined that its supervisory objectives had been achieved.

LPT follows the principle of minimal and proportionate supervision, under which enforcement measures are applied only when compliance cannot be achieved by other means. Considering the nature of the violation and the operator’s corrective actions, the authorities concluded that imposing sanctions was unnecessary.

Advertising Rules

LPT reiterated that using the names or logos of betting operators in the titles of sports clubs or leagues is considered gambling advertising and is prohibited under current law. The legislation allows betting brands to appear on pitch-side advertising boards or on athletes’ kits, and it permits factual sponsorship disclosures without logo use.

The additional restrictions that came into force on 1 July aim to reduce gambling accessibility and related social harm. These measures form a transition period ahead of a full gambling advertising ban scheduled to take effect in 2028. The regulator continues to provide consultations and guidance to market participants to support compliance during this period.

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